Jobs in Sweden - in English
Hundreds of great job opportunities for foreign professionals at Sweden's top
employers - in cooperation with Monster, Experteer, Stepstone, and CareerBuilder.
'CV discrimination is idiotic': opposition
The Social Democrats accused the right-of-centre government of pessimism, infighting and wage dumping on Wednesday, as leader Stefan Löfven introduced new proposals to shore up the welfare state and boost jobs.
Published: 20 Feb 2013 10:57 CET
The Social Democrats accused the right-of-centre government of pessimism, infighting and wage dumping on Wednesday, as leader Stefan Löfven introduced new proposals to shore up the welfare state and boost jobs if the party takes power in the 2014 elections.
"The right-of-centre government is putting forward hardly any new proposals to parliament, they're instead embroiled in attacking each other," Löfven said about the four political parties that form the Alliance government.
He further said that the infighting and lack of concrete policy-making was damaging to Sweden by fostering despondency about the country's ability to compete on the global market.
He also said it paved the way for the anti-immigration Sweden Democrat party to entice new members and to grow its voter base.
"The coalition parties don't seem to be able to, want to, or even have the energy to take on today's challenges," he said.
"As far as the government is concerned, it's always someone else's fault. If it's not the EU, it's the fault of immigrants."
Speaking to The Local, Löfven said Sweden had to get better at benefiting from foreign-born job seekers' education and experience.
"We've seen in several surveys that if you have a foreign-sounding name, Swedish employers might not even invite you to an interview," he said.
"It is idiotic that Sweden doesn't use the resources at its disposal."
He further said that while Euro scepticism had also reached Sweden due to the financial crisis, any talk of a Swexit, in the mould of a union membership referendum proposed in the UK, would ultimately be damaging to Sweden.
"We need to make people feel that not only is the EU important but we can change how it works," he told The Local.
"We need a competitive continent, which will benefit Sweden and Swedish jobs."
Löfven spent a large part of Wednesday's press conference reiterating that the welfare state and employment were part and parcel of the same goal, to keep the Swedish standard of living among the world's highest.
He accused the government of structural wage dumping by wanting to introduce one-year high school programmes and have certain courses that do not give students the opportunity to go on to further education. Such measures would ultimately dump wages across the board, he warned.
The traditionally labour party said its proposals would also benefit the middle class in Sweden.
"For the middle class, a decision to study further should benefit your career, we want mobility on the labour market," he told The Local.
Ann Törnkvist
Follow Ann on Twitter here
"The right-of-centre government is putting forward hardly any new proposals to parliament, they're instead embroiled in attacking each other," Löfven said about the four political parties that form the Alliance government.
He further said that the infighting and lack of concrete policy-making was damaging to Sweden by fostering despondency about the country's ability to compete on the global market.
He also said it paved the way for the anti-immigration Sweden Democrat party to entice new members and to grow its voter base.
"The coalition parties don't seem to be able to, want to, or even have the energy to take on today's challenges," he said.
"As far as the government is concerned, it's always someone else's fault. If it's not the EU, it's the fault of immigrants."
Speaking to The Local, Löfven said Sweden had to get better at benefiting from foreign-born job seekers' education and experience.
"We've seen in several surveys that if you have a foreign-sounding name, Swedish employers might not even invite you to an interview," he said.
"It is idiotic that Sweden doesn't use the resources at its disposal."
He further said that while Euro scepticism had also reached Sweden due to the financial crisis, any talk of a Swexit, in the mould of a union membership referendum proposed in the UK, would ultimately be damaging to Sweden.
"We need to make people feel that not only is the EU important but we can change how it works," he told The Local.
"We need a competitive continent, which will benefit Sweden and Swedish jobs."
Löfven spent a large part of Wednesday's press conference reiterating that the welfare state and employment were part and parcel of the same goal, to keep the Swedish standard of living among the world's highest.
He accused the government of structural wage dumping by wanting to introduce one-year high school programmes and have certain courses that do not give students the opportunity to go on to further education. Such measures would ultimately dump wages across the board, he warned.
The traditionally labour party said its proposals would also benefit the middle class in Sweden.
"For the middle class, a decision to study further should benefit your career, we want mobility on the labour market," he told The Local.
Ann Törnkvist
Follow Ann on Twitter here
Practice for employers' tests with JobTestPrep
Your Swedish Career
As part of our ongoing series of Swedish career profiles, The Local catches up with American Billy McCormac to find out how he went from refurbishing antique furniture to heading one of Sweden's most influential real estate lobbying organizations.
Foreigners who arrive in Sweden with a university degree can find it tough to find a job that matches their education from back home. The Local talks with Josefin Edström, an expert in employment issues for foreign degree holders, to learn the top tips for a smooth transition.
After a bumpy ride on Sweden's unemployment roller coaster that ended with a position at Swedish telecom giant Ericsson, Jessica Nkusi, an HR consultant from Rwanda, has learned a thing or two about finding a job in Sweden.
Unable to find good Mexican food after moving to Stockholm to study in 2008, Monterrey native David Licona now finds himself running La Neta, one of the most popular Mexican eateries in the Swedish capital. The Local finds out more.
The archive of our 'My Swedish Career' interviews with foreign-born professionals making a life and a career for themselves in Sweden.
Want more money? Want to learn how to convince your Swedish boss that you are indispensable? Sure, but make sure you do your homework first, explains union ombudsman Anna-Karin Mattsson.
Swedish Employment News
Since 2008, migrants to Sweden can swap course from seeking asylum to seeking a work visa with the help of an employer. The Local speaks to one migrant who praises the system, while saying it could be improved.
The Swedish Migration Board wants to improve knowledge of labour migration possibilities to Sweden for migrants, hoping in part to make sure future employees know their options and rights.
Sweden needs to hire more foreigners, but Swedish employers remain reluctant to hire them due to barriers of language and distance, a new report from Sweden's job agency found.
Swedish companies need to keep the power to hire foreign workers, argues Karin Ekenger of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, who fears letting government agencies and unions determine who can work in Sweden will hurt firms' ability to compete globally.
As white-collar union Saco slammed Sweden for not helping well-educated foreigners into the labour market, The Local spoke to researcher Josefin Edström about the disconnect between foreign professionals and Swedish employers.
The white-collar union Saco has lambasted Sweden's Employment Agency for its failure to help well-educated, foreign-born job seekers, whose unemployment rate is more than three times the average for people born in Sweden.
SMG is hiring for the Stockholm office!
SMG is looking for International Sales Executives to sell their VIP Corporate Sports Hospitality Packages
FULL JOB AD »
Math & English Teachers
SSHL is a leading national boarding school located just outside
Stockholm, and is seeking to appoint two English-speaking positions for the coming academic year from August 1st.
FULL JOB AD »
Sales Executive
KSNY is a young and agile company looking for International Sales Executives. We are looking for you who want to become KSNY´s ambassador with a strong focus on sales and an entrepreneurial mind set. The key characteristics we are looking for are: ambition, sales drive and creativity. In short, we are looking for a "doer".
FULL JOB AD »
Project manager/editor
Much of your work will be for Spoon's multi-language productions, which means your
customers will be businesses with global operations. You will have daily contact
with people from around the world.
FULL JOB AD »
Marcus Evans is hiring!
Marcus Evans is looking for International Sales Executives
FULL JOB AD »
Senior Manager/Manager with Finance, Risk & Regulatory experience within Banking and Capital Markets
BearingPoint SE
Stockholm, STHM
Your comments about this article:
The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.
"We've seen in several surveys that if you have a foreign-sounding name, Swedish employers might not even invite you to an interview," he said.
Does this mean, someone at last is ready tackle this issue or do I need to add 'SON' to the end of my surname?
Your best bet of having someone to tackle the issue is voting him (if you can ofc).
Anyway, I know my post will get blasted by supporters of the right-wing, but I have to say I'm glad to see L?n finally connecting with reality and mentioned an issue as specific as foreign-sounding names in CV. I know I won't vote for the right-wing parties or SD in the next election, but I wasn't sure if any leftist parties deserved my votes. Now I know whom I should vote for, L?n for prime minister!
It is already against the law for an employer to discriminate against an employee, or potential employee, on account of their race or religion.
The problem is that it's notoriously difficult to prove discrimination during a recruitment process. Unless the employer actually confesses to preferring a Swede over non-Swede for no other grounds than race, it's all but impossible.
Mr L?n is entitled to rant and rave about how unfair and silly it all is, but what is he going to do? Mandatory positive discrimination? Quotas? Let's hear it Mr L?n. Without a offering us a concrete idea, it's all just more hot air. Which is ironic considering that's exactly what he criticises the Moderate party for offering us.
I am assuming he is suggesting DO will finally be compelled to implement the numerous EU directives rather than simply paying lip service. At least he his raising the issue rather than ignoring it, I might even be tempted to renew my membership if he carries on this way????
So you'd rather vote for a government that purposely ignores the widespread social problems over people who acknowledge them and even submit proposals for correction? Wonder why SD got so many votes lately? Because the incompetent right-wing government can't do its damn job and they keep living in denial! The biggest problem with SD is whatever immigrant-related topic they bring up becomes taboo. Luckily, L?n got the CV name first this time. When the leftist government ran the country, they kept SD out of picture for decades. With Reinfeldt in power for only one term, SD made their way into the parliament. If that is the best Reinfeldt, can do, Sweden can do a LOT better without him or any of his lackeys!